Today, March 8, is International Women's Day. International Women's Day has been observed since 1911, so this year marks the 100th anniversary! International Women's Day is a national holiday in many countries and is celebrated in some countries similarly to how Mother's Day is celebrated in the United States.
International Women's Day celebrates the economic, political and social achievements of women in the past, present and future. This celebration is certainly relevant to the field of public relations, with estimates that about 70% of PR professionals are women.
In honor of International Women's Day, watch the video below for an inspirational message from Michelle Bachelet, Former Chile President and Executive Director of UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Trying to rest? Give your eyes a break
It seems as though there are never enough hours in a day. Chances are, your waking activities and daytime responsibilities have a tendency to bleed into your sleep time. At this point in the semester, mine certainly are!
Do you check your e-mail or play around on your smart phone or tablet before bed? Are you up late working at the computer? A new study by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) sheds new light on why this can be a bad thing.
Besides cutting into your sleep time, the use of these devices before bed time can actually "increase alertness and suppress the release of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin," according to the NSF as reported on prdaily.com. The disruption is caused by exposure to the bright artificial light of the screen before bed, the NSF said.
Moral of the story? Giving yourself a break in between using the computer, TV or your smart phone and going to bed can have a positive impact on your quality of sleep. If you're like me, you need all the sleep you can get!
Do you check your e-mail or play around on your smart phone or tablet before bed? Are you up late working at the computer? A new study by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) sheds new light on why this can be a bad thing.
Besides cutting into your sleep time, the use of these devices before bed time can actually "increase alertness and suppress the release of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin," according to the NSF as reported on prdaily.com. The disruption is caused by exposure to the bright artificial light of the screen before bed, the NSF said.
Moral of the story? Giving yourself a break in between using the computer, TV or your smart phone and going to bed can have a positive impact on your quality of sleep. If you're like me, you need all the sleep you can get!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Facebook ‘Likes’ are Worth a Thousand Words, Literally
Have you ever ‘liked’ something on Facebook? Whether its a picture, status, product or service, ‘liking’ is a simple way to show an interest in something. As a generation saturated in social networking, we may take a lot of small things like Facebook’s ‘like’ application for granted, not thinking of its true potential, especially in creating awareness. Recently, Porsche became the quickest automaker to reach 1,000,000 fans on Facebook. How did they celebrate this social media achievement? Porsche printed the names of 27,000 fans who ‘liked’ their Facebook corporate fan page onto the body of their new hybrid 911 GT3 R racecar as a thank you to their million fans who made their social network success possible. The names were chosen at random from their fans and set to a Facebook-themed design with navy blue and white accents.
I don’t know about you but I can’t think of a better way to show fan appreciation than adorning their names on a car worth well over $250,000. From a public relations standpoint, Porsche’s use of social networking to gain publicity is a great initiative for them and other companies to start adopting. Porsche even created a separate “thank you” campaign and website for their fans to see the process of the car’s creation and search for their name on the car. Not only does this campaign portray the luxury automaker as a friendly and fan-loyal company, it brings awareness to the auto industry’s current eco-friendly car trend. By combining their fan loyalty with the popularity of hybrid vehicles, Porsche gets publicity, awareness, record setting and novelty points for releasing news in an unorthodox manner. For a company like Porsche, social responsibility to the environment and social interaction with their consumers and fans are connected. Porsche’s use of Facebook is an example of how the use of social networks can create more than just a digital and perceived connection between corporations and consumers but also a literal one.
What do you think about Porsche’s social network idea? Do you know any other companies that have used social media to connect with their fans in a creative way?
Become a fan of Porsche at http://www.facebook.com/porsche and check out their “A Million Thanks” campaign at: www.porsche.com/thankyou.
This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Jessica Lopez.
I don’t know about you but I can’t think of a better way to show fan appreciation than adorning their names on a car worth well over $250,000. From a public relations standpoint, Porsche’s use of social networking to gain publicity is a great initiative for them and other companies to start adopting. Porsche even created a separate “thank you” campaign and website for their fans to see the process of the car’s creation and search for their name on the car. Not only does this campaign portray the luxury automaker as a friendly and fan-loyal company, it brings awareness to the auto industry’s current eco-friendly car trend. By combining their fan loyalty with the popularity of hybrid vehicles, Porsche gets publicity, awareness, record setting and novelty points for releasing news in an unorthodox manner. For a company like Porsche, social responsibility to the environment and social interaction with their consumers and fans are connected. Porsche’s use of Facebook is an example of how the use of social networks can create more than just a digital and perceived connection between corporations and consumers but also a literal one.
What do you think about Porsche’s social network idea? Do you know any other companies that have used social media to connect with their fans in a creative way?
Become a fan of Porsche at http://www.facebook.com/porsche and check out their “A Million Thanks” campaign at: www.porsche.com/thankyou.
This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Jessica Lopez.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
The PR Strategy Behind Penn State’s THON
Have you heard more about Penn State’s THON this year compared to years past? This is most likely due to the fact that over $9.5 million was raised in support of the fight against pediatric cancer, which is truly inspirational. Another reason you may have been more aware of the event is due to the outstanding public relations strategies that were carried out by students to attract attention and awareness about the event and the cause.
As the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, THON already has a great reputation for its fundraising efforts. The event, which is a two-day, non-stop dance marathon, is planned and carried out solely by Penn State students. Committees and captains are set in place to oversee every aspect- from donor/alumni relations, to entertainment, and specifically public relations.
In a blog post written by Colleen Hanrahan, a student at Penn State, the different divisions of the public relations committee are explained:
Media Relations:
By contacting local, state, and national media through press releases, the media relations captains are able to keep the public up to date about THON and are able to inform people how they can get involved.
Street Teams:
This group uses guerilla marketing techniques when it comes to spreading the word about THON. Members promote events to the campus and surrounding communities through excitement and word of mouth.
Publication Management:
This group creates the “Diamond Guide,” a publication that explains all things THON. This is distributed to attendees, visitors, and participants to provide facts, pictures, and basic information about THON.
Alternative Media:
This group maintains THON’s social media, which includes Twitter, Facebook, and a newly created blog.
An organized PR effort is clearly needed to make THON a success. Raising $9.5 million for pediatric cancer and gaining a ton of national attention? I’d say they did a pretty good job.
This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Mackenzie Krott.
As the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, THON already has a great reputation for its fundraising efforts. The event, which is a two-day, non-stop dance marathon, is planned and carried out solely by Penn State students. Committees and captains are set in place to oversee every aspect- from donor/alumni relations, to entertainment, and specifically public relations.
In a blog post written by Colleen Hanrahan, a student at Penn State, the different divisions of the public relations committee are explained:
Media Relations:
By contacting local, state, and national media through press releases, the media relations captains are able to keep the public up to date about THON and are able to inform people how they can get involved.
Street Teams:
This group uses guerilla marketing techniques when it comes to spreading the word about THON. Members promote events to the campus and surrounding communities through excitement and word of mouth.
Publication Management:
This group creates the “Diamond Guide,” a publication that explains all things THON. This is distributed to attendees, visitors, and participants to provide facts, pictures, and basic information about THON.
Alternative Media:
This group maintains THON’s social media, which includes Twitter, Facebook, and a newly created blog.
An organized PR effort is clearly needed to make THON a success. Raising $9.5 million for pediatric cancer and gaining a ton of national attention? I’d say they did a pretty good job.
This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Mackenzie Krott.
Friday, March 4, 2011
TUTV Student Organization Filming Recap
Yesterday (March 3), PRowl Public Relations assisted client TUTV (Temple University Television) with an event to promote the March 16 launch of TempleTV.net, the channel's interactive online platform. One of our largest audiences for the launch campaign is current students on Philadelphia's main campus and abroad. When doing our research in the planning portion of the campaign, we found that Temple University has more than 300 registered student organizations on campus, with a total membership reach of 15,330 students.
In order to engage these students and get them excited for the website launch, PRowl planned a four-hour event where student organizations were invited to film a clip welcoming all visitors to TempleTV.net and introducing their organization to Temple's global community. On the upcoming March 16 launch day, these student organization "welcome" messages will rotate on the homepage. Every time a visitor enters the site, a new student organization will be there to greet them.
After a lot of e-mails and attending meetings to talk to student organizations, we got a great turnout of 58 organizations throughout the day. Students were invited to either share a message about what their organization does, or demonstrate their mission through a creative act. There was even more creativity than we expected! Singing, dancing, guitars, keyboards, flags, acting scripts, and other props appeared in the room throughout the day, and we were happy to have them!
Thank you to all Temple student organizations that stopped by. We look forward to sharing the messages we got yesterday with visitors who enter the site around the world on March 16!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Do Not Track
You may be aware of the legislation surrounding the “do not call” policy that applies to telemarketers. Now there is new legislation regarding a “Do Not Track” law, which was introduced to Congress on Friday, February 11 by a California Democrat. The “Do Not Call” policy allows people to sign up for a list to prevent them from receiving telemarketers’ phone calls. The previous bill is similar in nature to the new “Do Not Track” legislation introduced by Representative Jackie Speier. The new policy allows Internet users to block those who track their information online. Speier unveiled the companion bill formally titled the Financial Information Privacy Act.
Consumers frequently became aggravated with phone calls from telemarketers. These sales marketing professionals were not limited to calling people during a certain time of day; hence the stereotype telemarketers always call during dinner. The recipients of telemarketers’ calls were often left wondering how they were placed on a list for companies selling printing services and credit card programs. Are online advertisers bugging Internet users in a similar way, though? Advertisements are going to be on sites whether companies have your personal information or not. Users may, however, be receiving spam emails marketing programs or services from companies who obtained personal information. Online users may consider these emails and other messages just as aggravating as telemarketers’ phone calls.
Due to the perception of these messages, the new Financial Information Privacy Act comes as a relief to many Internet users. People surfing the web can feel safe knowing their personal information is protected from corporations and businesses seeking to obtain personal details. However, this will create a dilemma for companies that utilize consumers’ personal information to create targeted advertisements. Without users information on what they spend their money on, the recent trend in targeted advertisements may decline.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Welcome to Twitter Charlie Sheen!
As everyone knows, you can't go a day without hearing someone reference one of the latest "Sheen-isms." Charlie Sheen, the controversial and reckless star of the popular and recently canceled series, Two and a Half Men, has been making his rounds on the television and radio talk show circuit, blurting out statements that have increased his "popularity" ten-fold over night. After making such a buzz on television and radio waves, Sheen has now turned his time and attention to the Twitterverse, creating his own verified account last night.
His Twitter handle, @charliesheen had over 300,000 followers within the first few hours. His first post: "Winning..! Choose your Vice... #winning #chooseyourvice http://twitpic.com/455ly9- boasting a picture of himself with his girlfriend, endorsing his beverage of choice: chocolate milk. The star, who's bio describes him as an "unemployed winner," will be tweeting regularly to stay more connected with his fans. However, it is yet to be seen how his entrance into the world of social media will affect his reputation with the public? So far... it doesn't look too promising.
Charlie Sheen has been in desperate need of good publicity for awhile now due to his problems with drugs, sex scandals and acts of violence. Stan Rosenfield, Sheen's publicist for several years, finally threw in the towel and respectfully resigned after one too many blunders during his most recent round of interviews.
However, Team Sheen seems to be doing just fine in terms of generating publicity and Sheen has managed to make himself the next "Chuck Norris" of American pop culture. With fan sites popping up all over the internet and companies such as Zazzle.com producing Charlie Sheen gag gifts, Sheen has become one of the biggest pop culture sensations.
We have all heard the cliche saying: "All publicity is good publicity"- however I am not so sure in the case of Charlie Sheen. The four-time Emmy Award winning actor was once respected for his talent - not his drug habits and has recently become the newest joke in Hollywood. His fan base may be increasing and although he is still raking in large amounts of money from sites that are partnering with him to sell products, his reputation is abysmal and without a publicist to guide him, I am sure it will only grow worse. Although Twitter could be used to improve his reputation and standing with the public, it appears as though Sheen will only be using it as another platform to continue boasting of his blunders and famous zingers.
What are your thoughts on all of the Charlie Sheen gossip? Does the saying still stand true that all publicity is good publicity with Sheen's growing popularity in pop culture or does this increased fan base only indicate how far Sheen has fallen off the wagon?
His Twitter handle, @charliesheen had over 300,000 followers within the first few hours. His first post: "Winning..! Choose your Vice... #winning #chooseyourvice http://twitpic.com/455ly9- boasting a picture of himself with his girlfriend, endorsing his beverage of choice: chocolate milk. The star, who's bio describes him as an "unemployed winner," will be tweeting regularly to stay more connected with his fans. However, it is yet to be seen how his entrance into the world of social media will affect his reputation with the public? So far... it doesn't look too promising.
Charlie Sheen has been in desperate need of good publicity for awhile now due to his problems with drugs, sex scandals and acts of violence. Stan Rosenfield, Sheen's publicist for several years, finally threw in the towel and respectfully resigned after one too many blunders during his most recent round of interviews.
However, Team Sheen seems to be doing just fine in terms of generating publicity and Sheen has managed to make himself the next "Chuck Norris" of American pop culture. With fan sites popping up all over the internet and companies such as Zazzle.com producing Charlie Sheen gag gifts, Sheen has become one of the biggest pop culture sensations.
We have all heard the cliche saying: "All publicity is good publicity"- however I am not so sure in the case of Charlie Sheen. The four-time Emmy Award winning actor was once respected for his talent - not his drug habits and has recently become the newest joke in Hollywood. His fan base may be increasing and although he is still raking in large amounts of money from sites that are partnering with him to sell products, his reputation is abysmal and without a publicist to guide him, I am sure it will only grow worse. Although Twitter could be used to improve his reputation and standing with the public, it appears as though Sheen will only be using it as another platform to continue boasting of his blunders and famous zingers.
What are your thoughts on all of the Charlie Sheen gossip? Does the saying still stand true that all publicity is good publicity with Sheen's growing popularity in pop culture or does this increased fan base only indicate how far Sheen has fallen off the wagon?
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